PURPORT
A demoniac person, being always against the existence of God’s supremacy, does not like to believe in the scriptures. He is envious of both the scriptures and the existence of the Supreme Personality of Godhead because of his so-called prestige and his accumulation of wealth and strength. He does not know that the present life is a preparation for the next life. Not knowing this, he is actually envious of his own self, as well as of others. He commits violence on other bodies and on his own. He does not care for the supreme control of the Personality of Godhead because he has no knowledge. Being envious of the scriptures and the Supreme Personality of Godhead, he puts forward false logic against the existence of God and refutes the scriptural authority. He thinks himself independent and powerful in every action. He thinks that since no one can equal him in strength, power or wealth, he can therefore act in any one can stop him. If there is any advancement of his sensual activities, he will plan to cut him down by his own power.
19. Because they are envious and mischievous, the lowest of men, I ever put them back into the ocean of material existence, into various demoniac species of life.
PURPORT
In this verse it is clearly indicated that to put a particular individual soul in a particular body is the prerogative of the supreme will. The demoniac person may not agree to accept the supremacy of the Lord, and it is a fact that he may act according to his own whims, but his next birth will depend upon the decision of the Supreme Personality of Godhead and not on himself. In the Srimad-Bhagavatam, Third Canto, it is stated that an individual soul, after his death, is put into the womb of a mother where he gets a particular type of body under the supervision of superior power. Therefore in material existence we find so many species of life- animals, men and so on. This is all arranged by that superior power; it is not accidental. As for the demoniac, it is clearly said here that they are perpetually put into the wombs of demons and thus they continue to be envious, the lowest of mankind. Such demoniac species of life are held to be always full of lust, always violent and hateful and always unclean.
20. Gaining repeated birth among the species of demoniac life, such persons can never approach Me. Gradually they sink down to the most abominable position of existence.
PURPORT
It is known that God is all-merciful, but here we find that God is never merciful to the demoniac. It is clearly stated that the demoniac people, life after life, are put into the wombs of similar demons. Not achieving the mercy of the Supreme Lord, they go down and down so that at last they achieve bodies like those of cats, dogs and hogs. It is clearly stated that such demons have practically no chance of receiving the mercy of God at any stage of later life. In the Vedas also it is stated that such persons gradually go down to become dogs and hogs. It may be argued that God should not be advertised as all-merciful, since He is not merciful to such demons. In answer to this question, in the Vedanta-sûtra we find that the Supreme Lord has no hatred or favor for anyone. To put the asuras, the demons, into the lowest status of life is simply another feature of His mercy. Sometimes the asuras are killed by the Supreme Lord. This killing is also good for them, for in Vedic literature we find Lord is liberated. There are that anyone killany asuras Ravana. Kas ilutow in history appeared in various incarnations just to kill them. Therefore the Lord appears shown to the asuras if they are fortunate enough to be killed by Him.
21. There are three gates leading down to hell-lust, anger and greed Every sane man should give these up, for they lead to the degradation of the soul.
22. One who is freed from these gates to hell, O son of Kunti, performs conducive to his self-realization and thus gradually attains to the supreme destination.
PURPORT
One should be very careful of these three enemies to human life: lust, anger and greed. The more a person is freed from lust, anger and greed, the more his existence becomes pure. Then he can follow the rules and regulations enjoined in the Vedic literature. By following the regulative principles of human life, one gradually raises himself to the platform of spiritual realization. If one is so fortunate, by such practice, to rise to the platform of Krsna consciousness, then success is guaranteed for him. In the Vedic literature, the ways of action and reaction are prescribed just to bring one to the stage of purification. The whole method is based on giving up lust, greed and anger. By cultivating knowledge of how to do this. one is elevated to the highest position of self-realization; this self- realization is perfect in devotional service. In devotional service, the liberation of the conditioned soul is guaranteed. Therefore, according to Bhagavad-gītā As It Is described in the śāstra-being above these defects-are accepted without
alteration by all great saints, ācāryas and great souls.
In India especially there are many parties of spiritual understanding, generally classified as two: the impersonalist and the personalist. Both of them, however, lead their lives according to the principles of the Vedas. Without following the principles of the scriptures, one cannot elevate himself to the perfectional stage.
In human society, aversion to the principles of understanding the Supreme Personality of Godhead is the cause of all falldowns. That is the greatest offense of human life. Therefore, māyā, the material energy of the Supreme Personality of Godhead, is always giving us trouble in the shape of the threefold miseries. This material energy is constituted of the three modes of material nature. One has to raise himself at least to the mode of goodness before the path to understanding the Supreme Lord can be open. Without raising oneself to the standard of the mode of goodness, one remains in ignorance and passion, which cause one to become gradually demoniac. Those in the modes of passion and ignorance deride the scriptures, deride the holy men, and deride the proper understanding of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. They disobey the instructions of the spiritual master, and they do not care for the regulations of the scriptures.
In spite of hearing the glories of devotional service, they are not attracted to it, and therefore they manufacture their own way of elevation. These are some of the defects of human society that lead to the demoniac condition of life. If, however, one is able to be guided by a proper and bona fide spiritual master, who can lead one to the path of elevation to the highest stage, then his life becomes successful.
Thus end the Bhaktivedanta purports to the Sixteenth Chapter of the Śrimad Bhagavad-gita in the matter of the Divine and Demoniac Natures.
It is with pleasure that I receive these “pearls” that are embedded in this text. Every human being is always in search of well-being in whatever form. Education and re-education are necessary to successfully complete this objective which I think is necessary. We often forget or are unaware that the force and power are within us. Unfortunately, the vagaries of life often lead us to look outside of ourselves and thus allow ourselves to be drawn body and soul into dark spheres that engulf us further in an invisible prison rather than freeing us. Let us be guided by these beautiful words of this text and inevitably the true spiritual path will widen before you. Thank you my friend for this text which I think will inspire anyone wishing to improve spiritually
I have just replied to a friend to whom I was explaining the Meaning of Guru, and I am delighted to see that what I told her can serve as a response to your comment: as follows:
“We are all lights that do not know how and when to shine. We are caught in the labyrinth of negative power and darkness surrounds us on all sides, that is why a Guru comes into the world to save those who begin to understand that this is not their normal nature and are ready to come out.
The Master himself does not choose his disciples, he only finds those who are marked by the Lord who alone knows who are fully ready to return home after wanderings.
This is what this text brings out which you have understood very clearly. Detachment and surrender to a power that is always available in the world to show them the way back home.”